Category: Greater Manchester CAMRA News

Pubs, breweries and taprooms are fighting for their very survival against the Coronavirus. Many are finding different and innovative ways to help their business weather the crisis. Whether this is by launching hot food deliveries, encouraging locals to buy ‘gift cards’ for the summer or crowdfunding, there are plenty of ways that you can help support your favourite local business.

CAMRA is working with SIBA to let you know about pubs, bars, taprooms and breweries where you can still get beer and cider during the crisis. Click the link below to find out more.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has named the best four member clubs in the country as part of its Club of the Year competition and they include the Greater Manchester Club Of The Year Flixton Conservative Club (which won the award in 2018)

The other finalists include two other former winners, the Cheltenham Motor Club in Gloucestershire (2017) and the Appleton Thorn Village Hall in Warrington (2019).

The Orpington Liberal Club in Greater London is also in the running, which has made it to the final four in past years.

A Rochdale pub has romped away with the Greater Manchester Pub of the
Year for the second year running.

The Flying Horse adjacent to Rochdale’s magnificent Town Hall was in
need of Ben Boothman’s vision when he took it over. Trade at the site started
in 1691, but it endured a spell renamed as The Sports before he took the
reins. Ben could see the potential to
transform the town centre building to provide a destination for drinkers,
diners and overnight visitors, as well as an ambition to become the town’s
premier free live music establishment. But a long-term commitment to providing
the very best real ales underscored his efforts.

Ben is well-known in amateur rugby league circles as he combined
turning out in the green and gold colours of Rochdale Cobras alongside his work
at the Flying Horse. It’s a real family success as mum Pat has supported Ben
throughout, taking charge of functions as well as finding time to run a popular
outside catering business, Quirky Catering. The pub is also a vital supporter
of town centre initiatives including Rochdale Food and Drink Festival and the
Feel Good Festival.

The stewards who took over in March dedicated the award to the team who run the bar and cellar at the club who have ensured that the club retained the Greater Manchester title for an unprecedented fifth year.

The award was presented during the club’s monthly brewery night in their function room which was hosted by Brightside Brewery’s Carley Friedrich. A second presentation was then made in front of the club’s regular attendees in the downstairs bar.

The local brewing and pub scene in Greater Manchester is booming, according to the Good Beer Guide 2020, CAMRA’s premier publication featuring the very best pubs to find a great pint in the UK.

It reports that across Greater Manchester there are:

33 newly featured pubs, bringing the total of surveyed pubs in the area to 159

Five new breweries, including the Cheadle Brew House, Howfen Brew Co, Manchester Union Brewery Ltd, Made of Stone Brewery and Tin Head

In addition, the Flying Horse Hotel in Rochdale has been named one of the best pubs in the UK, having made its way to the next stage of the competition in the nationwide search for CAMRA’s Pub of the Year.

First built in 1691 and re-built in 1926, this is an impressive Edwardian stone-built free house with many original architectural features situated in the Town Hall Square. Ten cask ales and two traditional ciders are available as is live sports and music. The hotel features log fires and provides accommodation and a function room is available for hire.

It will now compete in the next round of the competition, hoping to be named one of the four super-regional finalists – and stay in with a chance of becoming the overall winner, to be revealed in February 2020.

The Good Beer Guide, which reviews over 4,500 pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinkers’ guide to the very best pints in the most picturesque and friendly pubs. Compiled by thousands of independent volunteers, it helps identify significant trends and themes locally and nationally.

Tom Stainer, CAMRA’s Chief Executive said: “For nearly five decades, the Good Beer Guide has been a comprehensive guide to the UK’s breweries, their ales, and the best outlets to find them in across the country.

“What makes the Guide unique is that all the entries are compiled and vetted by a huge volunteer team, based around the country. We work hard to ensure that all areas of the country are covered and, unlike some competitor titles, inclusion in this book is dependent on merit, not on payment.

“The Good Beer Guide has therefore always played an important role in acting as a barometer of the beer and pub industry. We believe information gleaned from the Guide is absolutely vital in the drive to save our pubs from closure and campaign for policies that better support the pub and beer industry.”

Discover all of the pubs listed, and more, with CAMRA’s new Good Beer Guide app, available on both iOS and Android device or visit the CAMRA shop for your copy: shop.camra.org.uk

Greater Manchester CAMRA is pleased to announce the result of the 2019 Regional Club Of The Year Competition.

The Greater Manchester Club Of The Year 2019 is the Flixton Conservative Club on Flixton Road between Urmston and Flixton in Trafford.

Although this is the fifth consecutive year that the club has won the Greater Manchester title, it is the first under new Stewards Pat and Andrea Doherty who took over in March and have maintained the high standards set by their predecessors Nigel and Sharon Porter.

Pat and Andrea (centre) flanked by Flixton Conservative Club cellar team Chaz and Tom receiving their Trafford & Hulme Branch Club Of The Year award

Nigel and Sharon left the club in November 2018 after six years at the helm but left behind a team passionate about serving high quality cask ale. Cellar team Tom, Chas and Hayley kept the beer flowing while the club recruited new stewards.

Pat and Andrea have reinstated the club’s successful “Brewery Nights” (monthly tap takeover and meet the brewer nights which pack out the club’s function room) as well as introducing a range of new events including a fortnightly Open Mic night, curry nights and expanding the live music offering.

Runner up in the Greater Manchester competition was Dobcross Band Social Club in Dobcross, Saddleworth.

Six of the nine branches of CAMRA in Greater Manchester selected a Club Of The Year each of which were visited by a team of judges from across the region.

The finalists were:

Ukrainian Club (Bolton Branch)

Dobcross Band Club (Rochdale, Oldham and Bury Branch)

Boothstown Royal British Legion (Salford & District Branch)

Moor Club (Stockport and South Manchester Branch)

Flixton Conservative Club (Trafford & Hulme Branch)

Standish Unity Club (Wigan Branch)

Flixton Conservative Club will now go forward into the 2020 National Club of The Year competition, seeking to reclaim the National Club Of The Year title they won in 2018.